


Coffee Break

by atonalremix



Series: A Normal Life [3]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Brotherly Affection, Gen, Interlude, Study Group
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 20:13:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3823276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atonalremix/pseuds/atonalremix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Stefan hosts an all-day cram session at Salvatore Manor, Damon decides to ease the boys' anxiety a little bit with a coffee break.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee Break

**Author's Note:**

> While I'm still writing and editing the main fic, this side story came out of events that have yet to be released. This may spoil later chapters (since it was designed to take place between Chapters 22 and 23), and I apologize to eagle-eyed readers who may catch the hints of what's to come!
> 
> That said, this takes place during winter exams for Stefan and company, and for those who haven't read the main fic, is also set in an alternate universe where Stefan & Damon are the human warlocks to Bonnie's eternal vampire.

This year, Stefan had invited the boys for an overnight study session. Since you had just graduated (with honors!), you didn't object. You didn't have any big plans, and besides, you could handle four rowdy teenage boys for a night.

While Mom and Dad would've loved to parent, they were at the _masjid_ for a fundraiser and wouldn't return until late. (Maybe. Dad was ranting about the state of the community in text form every ten minutes, to the point where you'd turned off notifications. There was only so much angry gibberish you could tolerate.) Frankly, you were more surprised the kids had all _agreed_ to a night of last-minute cramming.

When you were in high school, you, Jenna, and Mason would collaborate on study guides at school. You didn't exactly invite them to Casa Salvatore. You could've, but you wouldn’t finish your work. Either the boys had better study habits, or they were underestimating themselves, or both. You couldn't rule anything out with them.

"Our grades matter, Day," Jeremy had pointed out when he had arrived early in the morning, his Biology textbook sticking out of his (overflowing) backpack. "They determine if we get into college or not, remember?"

You laughed, stepping aside to let him in. "Says the guy who's most likely going to art school."

Stefan hid his smile under his sleeve as Jeremy brushed past you with all of his might. You didn't even budge an inch.

Later in the afternoon, Tyler and Matt arrived, hunched over from the weight of their bursting backpacks. Those dropped with the weight of a thousand anvils as the boys huddled over the coffee table in the den. You didn't miss those days one bit. Your exams required longer hours of studying, but your messenger bag no longer made the floors creak every time you threw it against the floorboards.

Technically, Stefan could've charmed his backpack to alleviate his back pain. Old Salvatore grimoires had illustrated several, designed to ease the lives of new wizards adjusting to their power. Problem was, Stefan didn't consider his magic an infinite gift. ("I can't really afford to abuse it," he had said at the time. "If I don't use magic, it'll build character or something.")

Baby brother's schoolbooks were far more likely to break his back than build it. Since you had other work to finish, you moved to the other side of the den. Stefan, Matt, and Tyler grabbed whiteboard markers, scribbling on a giant whiteboard Tyler had lugged from Lockwood Manor.

Since Jeremy was a year behind the others, he couldn't participate in Stefan's AP US History cram session. Instead, he sat across from you with his Biology notes and textbook. The poor kid even had flashcards, though the "unmemorized" pile had grown far larger than the "memorized" pile.

You glanced at the sub-heading on his notes: _The Krebs Cycle_. "Hey, you need help with that?"

"Could you?" Jeremy meekly peered up. "I know you're a psych student, but..."

"But I remember most of this," you said, half-wondering if you still had your college notes somewhere. All psychology students were required to take a year of biology. You had opted for additional neurology classes, but everyone had the basic foundation. If Jeremy was struggling with it, you could at least try. Worst-case scenario, you were refreshing on the basics, and that never hurt anyone.

Wasn't like you were doing anything else this evening.

Jeremy blinked back surprise. "Really? Could you, uh, could you answer this question?"

He held up his textbook to the end of the chapter questions. You skimmed them before glancing at Jeremy's notes. The kid had highlighted the important bits, sure, but these were mostly memorization. If the kid was struggling with pure memorization, study tips would work more than walking through practice questions.

"I _could_ , but let's see if you know where to begin."

Jeremy groaned, leaning forward and stretching his arms across the wooden table. "Damooooon..."

"Hey, pipe down," Tyler called from the other end of the room. "Some of us are trying to study Reconstruction here!"

How far were they supposed to have gone in a semester again? According to Alaric, they started in the 1600's, with the Spanish settlers in the Southwestern United States before heading towards Jamestown.

("I got a lot of flak for that," Alaric had admitted with a sigh. "But the Spanish settlement played a huge role, and we'd be dumb to ignore it."

New Englanders and their obsession with American history. You swear, just when you thought Ric evaded his Bostonian roots, he went and did something that proved them.)

You snorted, just as Jeremy's groans grew even louder.

"No, seriously, Damon. I know it's memorization, but I suck at it."

That made two of you. Jeremy's strengths lied in art - in creating things with his own two hands. He mastered subjects through experimentation (ironic, considering science relied on applying knowledge), so memorization was gained through repeated application. Or so you had believed. Jeremy's sunken eyes and downcast gaze spoke otherwise, of hours of failed attempts at studying the material.

"Have you tried mapping your notes out?" You asked, tapping the figure. "Re-draw the diagrams, and then see if you can map it out visually."

"Hunh." Jeremy tilted his head towards the side. He flipped the pages of his notebook, hastily sketching the cycle with sharp, steady movements that betrayed years of artistic practice.

The kid would be just fine. You, on the other hand, needed a break. The housebound kids wouldn't stir for a while: dinner wasn't for another few hours, either. If you left, ostensibly to grab a snack or groceries, you suspected you wouldn't come home to one of those wild teenage parties.

(You hoped. Again, Mom and Dad were spending the whole day at the masjid, so you couldn't exactly afford to screw up.)

"Does anyone want coffee?" You called, snagging the keys off their hook on the wall.

The boys shrugged, glancing up from their whiteboard. "Sure? We'll text you what we want," Stefan said after a moment.

"Sounds good."

Without another word, you slipped out the back door. Man, as much as you loved Stefan, sometimes he was too much of a good influence on those boys. Had you _ever_ witnessed something that peaceful before?

 

 

 

The boys never texted you their order. You'd fully expected one at the grocery store, while you bought essentials for next week, but nothing arrived.

So you stashed your bags in the trunk and walked over to the coffeehouse. About twenty minutes later, once you'd exhausted your Facebook feed, you stuffed your phone in your pocket and ordered everyone's drinks. They said they wanted coffee, but if they weren't going to specify, it wasn't your problem.

To an extent, you knew their usuals: Stefan ordered black tea; Matt's coffee was more milk than coffee; Tyler liked those Earl Grey lattes with a shot of vanilla; and Jeremy preferred espressos. These, you ordered along with a latte for yourself.

By the time you returned to the Manor, the boys were studying old practice questions. Stefan was reading out a prompt on Reconstruction, while Tyler and Matt were hastily scrawling an essay outline on sheets of notebook paper. Jeremy had already plugged in earphones, sketching more biology diagrams.

It wasn't chaos: rather, it was an organized frenzy, notes scattered across the floor as the boys attempted to apply and learn years of knowledge in order to regurgitate it in less than a week. They were miles ahead of you, and they hadn't even reached college yet.

Setting down your drink, you first held out Jeremy's cup of espresso. "Here."

"Huh?" Jeremy pulled out his earphones, peering at the mug. "Wait, is this..."

You shrugged. "Maybe. Stefan never texted, so I figured I'd save myself the trouble."

Jeremy couldn't quite wipe the grin off his face as he held up his mug in gratitude. "Thanks. You know me too well."

The boys hadn't even glanced up from their notes. The world could've ended in this moment, and they would've worried more about the exam that Alaric probably hadn't prepared yet.

You tapped your foot as you approached them, setting down the tray on the corner of the table.

"Matt, I've got your au lait thing," you said, giving the cup to him before you then handed over Stefan's black tea. "Stefanizo, I know how you feel about coffee, so that's tea with coconut milk."

"Thanks," Stefan and Matt said together, accepting their drinks. Matt's wary eyes twinkled as he took a sip of his milk-y coffee, while Stefan savored those first sips.

After that one long, wistful sip, they set down their drinks and returned to their work. This exam must've been far more serious than you thought.

To Tyler, you handed the last coffee cup. "Last but not least, I got you one of those London fog lattes."

Tyler narrowed his eyes. "I didn't ask for one."

"No, but..." You shrugged, affecting an exasperated expression as you rose to your feet. "I can't exactly go back and return this."

The boys had exams tomorrow morning, and you weren't keen on leaving the house at this hour. Mom and Dad would be back any minute now, worn out from their fundraising efforts. You were supposed to be the loyal chaperone, ensuring that no one had booze during finals week. Not that you believed they would, if they were this focused on acing their exams.

Tyler smothered a smile, setting the drink down and grabbing a whiteboard marker. "Pay attention next time, will you?"

"Sure." You shrugged, returning to work on your thesis. "If you'll actually text me your order next time."

Even you couldn't ignore the twinkle in the kid's eyes as he resumed his mad scribbles. Sometimes, it paid to spend too much time with this bunch of losers.


End file.
